Vocalists — All Formats  

The greatest entertainer ever? We think so – and this 2LP set offers Sammy D in the best possible way to get him: live, and in the very familiar turf of the Sands Hotel. This live album, and it's counterpart (At The Cocoanut Grove, also on Reprise) are, in our opinion, Sammy's best recordings – because they feature him ripping through a bunch of material, doing lots of great impressions and medleys, and really swinging with a tight little combo led by Michael Silva, the drummer. The groove is really jazzy – way jazzier than on some of Sammy's studio LPs from the time – and he runs through a range of material from pop tunes to standards, done in a style that's far different than you'd expect for the titles. The vocals are tight, heartfelt, but also given a professional little finesse that really makes them sparkle. Titles include "Ain't I", "Another Spring", "On A Clear Day", "As Long As She Needs Me", "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and 2 fantastic medleys with lots of jazzy songs. Heck, Dean Martin never got a chance to cut a double live album – and Frank really ever did one – so given that Sammy got a chance to do two of them, you've gotta figure the format really worked for him! This is the real Mr. Entertainment, and you owe it to yourself to hear him as he really was.

Titles include "Lady Is A Tramp", "Love Of My Life", "Deed I Do", "Where Or When", and "Can't Help Lovin That Man".

An incredible album from Mel Torme – easily his best set ever, and a record that helped raise the bar for all other singers back in the 50s! A key part of the success of the set is the presence of Marty Paich as an arranger – as Marty swings the whole thing with a fluid groove that's really amazing, and which is a style that hadn't ever been done on record this well before. The group is filled with hip west coast players like Pete Candoli, Jack Montrose, Bob Cooper, and Bud Shank – all of whom really soar together, and elevate Mel's vocals from the older velvet fog mode, into a leaner, hipper style that's really tremendous! Titles include "The Blues", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Lulu's Back In Town", "The Carioca", "Sing For Your Supper", and "Lullaby Of Birdland".

An incredible album from Mel Torme – easily his best set ever, and a record that helped raise the bar for all other singers back in the 50s! A key part of the success of the set is the presence of Marty Paich as an arranger – as Marty swings the whole thing with a fluid groove that's really amazing, and which is a style that hadn't ever been done on record this well before. The group is filled with hip west coast players like Pete Candoli, Jack Montrose, Bob Cooper, and Bud Shank – all of whom really soar together, and elevate Mel's vocals from the older velvet fog mode, into a leaner, hipper style that's really tremendous! Titles include "The Blues", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Lulu's Back In Town", "The Carioca", "Sing For Your Supper", and "Lullaby Of Birdland".

A rare set from Gloria Steward – a singer who seems to be American, but who's recording here in a rare Swiss session from the 60s – with backing from a very groovy small combo! The lineup features some great vibes from Manfred Burzlaff, whose ringing tones make for a slightly different vocal set than usual – a bit looser, and not as much the straight piano date you'd expect – although there is some nice piano on the record too, courtesy of Bob Degen. The tunes are mostly standards, but Gloria swings them with a sweet soulful undercurrent – in ways that make the record come across with the same charms you'd get from an early 60s record by Teri Thornton or Pat Bowie. Titles include "Get Out Of Town", "Day In Day Out", "By Myself", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "One Note Samba", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me".

A rare set from Gloria Steward – a singer who seems to be American, but who's recording here in a rare Swiss session from the 60s – with backing from a very groovy small combo! The lineup features some great vibes from Manfred Burzlaff, whose ringing tones make for a slightly different vocal set than usual – a bit looser, and not as much the straight piano date you'd expect – although there is some nice piano on the record too, courtesy of Bob Degen. The tunes are mostly standards, but Gloria swings them with a sweet soulful undercurrent – in ways that make the record come across with the same charms you'd get from an early 60s record by Teri Thornton or Pat Bowie. Titles include "Get Out Of Town", "Day In Day Out", "By Myself", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "One Note Samba", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me".

An incredible album from Mel Torme – easily his best set ever, and a record that helped raise the bar for all other singers back in the 50s! A key part of the success of the set is the presence of Marty Paich as an arranger – as Marty swings the whole thing with a fluid groove that's really amazing, and which is a style that hadn't ever been done on record this well before. The group is filled with hip west coast players like Pete Candoli, Jack Montrose, Bob Cooper, and Bud Shank – all of whom really soar together, and elevate Mel's vocals from the older velvet fog mode, into a leaner, hipper style that's really tremendous! Titles include "The Blues", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Lulu's Back In Town", "The Carioca", "Sing For Your Supper", and "Lullaby Of Birdland".

Patti Page is definitely in the land of hi-fi here – sounding a lot groovier than on some of her other 50s albums, thanks to some really wonderful arrangements by Pete Rugolo! Pete swings things hard here – with the same dramatic flair and playful turns of his own instrumental albums on Mercury – creating a setting that brings a lot more life into Patti Page than you might expect! There's lots of dynamic horn work on most numbers – bursting out and blasting forth with a quality that really helps direct the sound of the vocals – and titles include "Nevertheless", "A Foggy Day", "My Sin", "Love For Sale", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and "I Didn't Know About You".